Experiments conducted by scientists at the Institute of Chemistry at Lobachevsky State University in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, have shown the effectiveness of innovative wound dressings made from cod collagen-based hydrogel.
This substance helped accelerate the healing of thermal burns in laboratory animals.
The results showed that all mice had fully recovered their damaged tissue after 28 days of treatment, with fur regrowth in the affected areas. The study's findings were published in the journal Polymers.
The researchers confirmed that the new bandages are superior in terms of speed and quality of wound healing to commercial bandages made from cow collagen, which are currently used in medical institutions.
Dr. Lyudmila Semenicheva, head of the Petrochemical Research Laboratory at the Institute of Chemistry, said that cod collagen is closer in composition to human collagen, which helps it to integrate easily into skin tissues and contributes to stopping bleeding more quickly, as well as having antibacterial and antifungal properties, which allows the use of bandages without the need for prior sterilization, including in field conditions.
She added that these materials could find wide applications in the treatment of burns and chronic ulcers, as well as in surgery, military and sports medicine, in addition to veterinary uses.
Hydrogel production relies on modifying cod collagen using free radicals via an innovative photocatalytic technique that is considered one of the methods of "green chemistry," as the process takes place at room temperature and under natural light, without the need for heating or radiation.
The researchers explained that the photocatalytic material also gives the hydrogel sterilizing properties that help to combat pathogenic microorganisms, while the team plans to conduct more experiments in preparation for adopting this technology in veterinary practice, before moving to broader application phases.
